Meeting Passcode Settings for a Branded Room

Meeting passcode and waiting room settings for branded rooms

The recommended meeting passcode settings for branded rooms are simple: keep the passcode on, save it once in your room settings so guests never type it, and turn the meeting platform's own waiting room off. Your branded lobby already does the waiting, so nobody waits twice or needs admitting by hand. Enter the short passcode people type, not the long pwd= code from the end of the meeting link.

The recommended setting

Most meeting platforms require every meeting to have a passcode or a waiting room. The room running today uses Zoom, which works this way. Zoom is a trademark of Zoom Communications, Inc. BrandedRooms is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Zoom.

For a branded room, choose the passcode. Set it in the meeting itself, then type it into your room settings and save. From then on, the room passes it for every guest at the moment they join. Guests never see it, never type it and never email you asking for it.

Meeting passcode: on.
Passcode saved in your room settings: yes, the short one people type.
The meeting platform's own waiting room: off.
Your branded waiting room: on, as it always is.

Why not both?

It is tempting to switch everything on for safety. With both the passcode and the platform's waiting room on, though, guests wait twice. They wait in your branded lobby, are sent through when you press Start the room, and then land in a second, plain waiting area where you have to admit each person by hand.

For a small meeting that is a nuisance. For a large event it is the moment the energy drains away, while the host clicks admit, admit, admit instead of welcoming people. Your branded waiting room already holds guests with your name, a countdown and an add-to-calendar button. Let it do its job.

There is a quieter benefit too. With the passcode saved and the platform's waiting room off, the moment you press Start the room is the moment everyone arrives together. Guests come in muted, all at once, which is exactly what you want for a welcome, an announcement or a round of confetti.

The passcode versus the pwd= token

Meeting links often end with a long string after pwd=. That string is an encoded version of the passcode, made for links, and it is not what your room needs. Your room needs the short passcode a person would type if they joined by hand.

You will find the typed passcode in the meeting's details in your meeting account, usually shown next to the meeting number. If you paste the pwd= token by mistake, guests will be refused when the meeting starts. Copy the short one, paste it, save, and run a guest test to be sure.

Changing the passcode later

If you change the meeting's passcode, change it in your room settings at the same moment. The room passes whatever you saved, so an old passcode there means guests are turned away at the door of the meeting even though the lobby looks perfect. The same applies if you switch the room to a different meeting: update the meeting number and passcode together, then test.

A good habit is to treat the meeting number and passcode as a pair. Whenever one changes, open your room settings, update both, save and run a short guest test from a private browser window. It takes a couple of minutes and saves an awkward start.

Guests who join from the desktop app

Some guests will always prefer their desktop app, and they can still use the regular meeting link. They join the same meeting the usual way, and the platform's normal rules apply to them, including the passcode. They will not see your branded page, offers or effects. If most of your audience joins from your page, you are getting the most from the room, so share the room address rather than the bare meeting link.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best meeting passcode settings for branded rooms?+

Keep the passcode on, save the short typed passcode in your room settings, and turn the meeting platform's own waiting room off. Guests never type the passcode because the room passes it for them, and your branded lobby does the waiting, so nobody has to be admitted by hand or wait twice.

Do guests type the passcode to join my room?+

No. You save the passcode once in your room settings, and the room passes it for each guest when the meeting starts. Guests only leave their first name and email at the door, or are already signed in. People who use the regular meeting link in their desktop app join the usual way.

Should I keep the platform's waiting room on as well?+

No, turn it off. With both on, guests wait in your branded lobby and then again in a plain waiting area, where you must admit each person by hand. The passcode meets the platform's requirement, and your branded waiting room holds guests in a far better place.

Which passcode do I paste, the pwd= code or the short one?+

Paste the short passcode that a person would type, not the long pwd= code at the end of the meeting link. That long code is an encoded form made for links, and the room cannot use it. Find the typed passcode in the meeting's details in your meeting account.